ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like my 8-year-old son doesn't listen to me unless I raise my voice. I hate that yelling has become our norm. It leaves me feeling frustrated and guilty, and I know it's probably affecting him too. Small things like getting dressed, brushing teeth or cleaning up toys can turn into a major confrontation, and I end up ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I've witnessed many women leaving their purses unattended in the toddler seat of grocery carts. They will turn their back to the cart to look for an item nearby, usually for less than a minute.

However, a couple weeks ago, I turned into an aisle at the grocery store and there was a cart at the other end of the aisle with a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My granddaughter dated a young man for four years before breaking things off about a year ago. During that time, he became part of our family in many ways. Even after the breakup, he continued coming to church with us every Sunday. In fact, we've grown closer in the past year, sharing pews, Sunday lunches and family stories. My ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I met this guy at work and fell in love. We started going out, and he asked me to be his girlfriend. We moved in together pretty quickly, and I got pregnant. Three months later, I saw a text on his phone from a female co-worker. The first message said, "This is 'Brianne'" and the second was work-related.

Everyone in the facility had ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently matched with someone on a dating app, and after chatting for a bit, we realized we work at the same company. It's a huge organization, so we had never crossed paths before -- until, of course, we suddenly started running into each other in the office after matching. We never acknowledged it directly, and since then, ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Each year, Halloween heralds my own personal horror: the season during which my family harasses me to provide them with a list of items that I would like for Christmas.

I abhor this annual ritual. To me, the value in receiving gifts is the knowledge that the giver took the time and effort to think about what I might really ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently started a new job that I genuinely like. The people are friendly (mostly), the work is interesting and I finally feel like I may have found a place where I can stay for the long haul. But there is just one problem, and it is a big one.

The woman who sits at the reception desk smokes like a chimney, and the smell does ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister has always been a liar and a manipulator. She has lost jobs because of her toxic behavior. Our parents passed away 20 years ago, and ever since, she has trashed their memory to anyone who will listen. She claims she was unwanted because she was female, that my parents refused to name her and wouldn't take her home from the ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently noticed that my partner still follows his ex on social media, and not only that, but he still likes most of her posts. They've been broken up for two years, and from what I know, she was the one who ended things. It's not like he's leaving flirty comments or anything inappropriate, but I can't help but feel uneasy ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am always looking to meet new people and make new friends. But for the last five years or so, I have noticed that people only want to talk about themselves -- their travels, home renovations, work, etc.

I understand that the favorite topic of conversation for most people is themselves, but what happened to a two-way ...Read more

Dear Annie: A few months ago, my life took a turn I never expected. After noticing changes in my wife's behavior such as late nights at work, a phone that suddenly never left her side and an emotional distance that grew by the week, I followed my gut. Against every instinct that told me not to, I hired a private investigator. What he uncovered...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our granddaughter, "Amy," who shows in 4-H, decided to take her stepdad's last name when appearing at the fair. Our son, her father, is a big part of her life. This is the second year in a row she has done this, and it hurts me and my husband deeply. Her mother, stepdad and his family think it's great. Our son has no backbone and won'...Read more

Lately, I've been arguing with campaign texts. They all start the same way: Here is the outrage of the day, and also, there's a tight deadline for funding for which your five bucks will make all the difference. I had been deleting them, but on a particularly emotionally frothy day, I replied to one. I wrote, "Tell me a vision of how your ...Read more

Dear Annie: For most of my life, I've struggled with feeling isolated. As someone on the autism spectrum, I've often found social situations confusing or overwhelming. I longed for connection but wasn't always sure how to reach for it. Then something unexpected gave me not only companionship but also a sense of purpose: my dog.

She's not just...Read more